Hello darlings! Emma here, ready to whisk you back to the era of bustle skirts and corsets, but with a glamorous twist – it’s all about the leotard! Today, we're travelling back to 1879, the year I'm going to share some juicy leotard tidbits with you about fashion in the Gilded Age.
As a time traveller extraordinaire in my dazzling pink sparkling leotard (it’s magical, truly!), my love of all things leotard takes me to the most fascinating places, and June 1879 in America was a prime spot for a leotard fashion frenzy. The nation was abuzz with celebrations as they prepared for the grand opening of the new Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. Now, imagine that - a brand new Opera House! What excitement!
Speaking of opera, let’s talk about how it inspired some truly glamorous leotard trends!
Remember the term ‘leotard’ – I did a whole post on the origins of the name, (#237 – do give it a read!), but, in this era, the term had been around a while. Leotards, in their own beautiful way, were considered a secret fashion statement, worn by performers. Just think of the sleek elegance of an opera singer’s leotard with the shimmering backdrop of an opera house stage!
A Leotard Glimpse from The Gilded Age
Our journey in June 1879, takes us from opera houses to circus arenas, and, imagine, it’s where leotards started gaining their own serious fashion influence. They were favoured by the brave men and women who captivated audiences with their daredevil acts, graceful aerial feats, and captivating ballet. You just couldn't miss the graceful stretch of a leotard as these talented performers showcased their strength, grace, and artistry. I simply adore how leotards in those days allowed these performers to really show off their beautiful movements, showcasing those amazing limbs and muscles.
Back in England…Fashion at Home!
Let’s step back from our American adventure, for a quick peek back into fashion in the good ol' Derbyshire. Now, in England, 1879 was a time of major changes. In fact, if you’d wandered the bustling streets of London that year, you would have been amidst a world of swirling skirts, full bustles and stylish high-collared bodices. That’s how we were all about expressing our feminine styles, all the time.
So what’s that got to do with leotards you might ask? Well, for this era, leotards were primarily a performer’s secret, reserved for stages, behind the curtains of the opera, or under those circus tents, like an exquisite fashion treasure chest waiting to be discovered. It’s all part of their charm – it adds mystery to their timeless style.
And there was one other notable difference in leotard fashion, back then, which makes a statement about how much times have changed… back in those days, it’s probably a shocker, but leotards were almost exclusively worn by men! Now, how can that be, you ask?
Let me tell you… In 1879, it was men like Julius and Charles, who wore those tight, fitting and sleek, black leotards and captured everyone’s hearts with their high wire stunts. They’d leap between towers, perform intricate feats of strength and skill, and of course, their daring grace always left audiences stunned. So it was almost a masculine way to celebrate those sculpted muscles, which I actually rather loved - there's something incredibly stylish and strong about how they held those leotards and the powerful movements of those performers!
My Dream, to Wear a Tutu
And then, to top it all off, in England during the year 1879, the first official public ballet performances happened! What an incredible breakthrough! My goodness, can you imagine how exciting this must have been! Imagine seeing those stunning tutus dancing and swirling across the stage, full of movement, graceful postures and pure magic, like floating in a dream - all those wonderful fabrics and colours! This was the very beginning of what would inspire my love for the perfect pink tutu - one day, all the women in the world will be rocking a beautiful, magical pink tutu and it all started back in this year! (I’ll be honest, though, at this time it’s not my most popular time travel trip for ballet outfits as all of the outfits look far too prim and proper. No daring tights, lots of tights tucked away in frills!)
Time to Travel!
But as much as I’d love to spend more time chatting about those gilded age leotard dreams, my sparkling pink leotard is calling! There are always more fascinating leotard stories out there waiting to be discovered.
Remember, dear friends, fashion is an amazing language, especially when you travel through time. My leotard adventure continues next month with my favourite Pink Tutu travels. See you in another month when I explore more secrets from the wonderful world of leotards.
P.S. Until then, head over to my site www.pink-tutu.com to get those fashion fix. I'll be sharing even more exciting travel adventures with all of you there! Let’s spread the leotard love and all rock a pink tutu - a pink one, at that, that’s magic! Because everyone deserves a little sparkle in their life. xx
